Sunday, December 10, 2017

Blood Oath – The Line Between

Blood Oath is a relatively newer Chilean
death metal band that just recently released their first EP “The Line Between”.
The EP was first put out on tape, but is now being re-released on CD by
Unspeakable Axe Records, and therefore has the mark of quality before even
hearing it! After a short atmospheric intro, the band immediately begins laying
waste to your ears with their brand of classic death metal. The intro to this
first full track, “Lobotomy”, sounds like the musical descent into hell, as it
clearly takes great influence from Slayer and their tremolo-bar abuse. But this
is a death metal record, and it isn’t long before the other classic death metal
elements come into play.

Blood Oath’s sound is fairly predictable, but
that’s a good thing. They occasionally try to change it up on “Lobotomy” by
introducing a couple of off-kilter drumbeats, but truthfully, the band is
better at playing straight-ahead death metal. Their vocalist in particular is a
major strength of the band. Though he has a deep voice, his screams sound more
like a ghoul than the guttural beasts that dominate death metal. The best
comparison would be to a slightly more untamed version of David Vincent’s
vocals on “Altars of Madness”. This is partly because the vocals almost emerge
from the background; they aren’t completely at the forefront of the music even
though they’re very clear. The result is that they don’t overpower the rest of
the music.

This description is true of the rest of the
band as well. This EP is perfectly mixed to make each element pop up at just
the right time, with no one instrument dominating. The bass in particular is
always easy to hear, and makes this dark release sound even murkier. Part of
what makes “The Line Between” so great is that it exudes evil. Every single
track is an exercise in atmosphere, and the band doesn’t ruin it by overdoing elements
like blast beats or even double bass. They use plenty of both, but only when
necessary. Much to my surprise (and delight), there are tons of thrashier
moments on this record, especially from the drumming. As a result, this EP
sounds like something from the late 1980s rather than the years that followed.
Overall, “The Line Between” hits all the right spots for my admittedly narrow
tastes in death metal. It isn’t as good as the classics, but is unique enough
to stand on its own, and as a result, is well worth a purchase!